The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and variable levels of induced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in clones of mouse hepatoma cells.

Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity was studied in clones and subclones of mouse hepatoma (Hepa-lcl) cells. When maximally induced, one clone had significantly lower (p less than 0.005), two had approximately the same, and two had significantly higher (p less than 0.005) levels of AHH activity compared with Hepa-lcl. The maximal level of induced activity, relative to the parent population, in two clones chosen for further analysis was 0.14 +/- 0.09 for clone 1 (Hs-1) and 0.94 +/- 0.28 for clone 9 (Hs-9). These relative levels were stable over a period of 10 months and were similar when activity was induced either with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or benz[a]anthracene. Subclones of Hepa-lcl cells, derived from the Hs-9 clone, also demonstrated variation in induced AHH activity. When maximally induced with TCDD, six subclones had significantly lower AHH activity (p less than 0.005), two had approximately the same, and one had significantly higher levels (p less than 0.005) compared with the progenitor Hs-9 population. Comparative analysis of Ah receptor characteristics in two unselected clones of Hepa-lcl with significantly different levels of AHH activity demonstrated that there was no apparent correlation between relative level of induced AHH activity and (i) total quantity of Ah receptor (cytosol and nuclear), (ii) receptor affinity for TCDD and number of receptor sites in each cell, (iii) subcellular distribution of [3H]TCDD, or (iv) specificity and saturable nature of binding. Coordinate measurement of the concentration of nuclear receptor and absolute induced AHH activity in Hepa-lcl and its clones had a positive correlation (r = 0.79).